Edging for fabrics and method of forming same



- (N9 Model.)

J. M. MERROW. EDGING FOR FABRICS AND MET-HOD. OPTOBMING SAME.

No. 507,235. Patented Oct. 24, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. MERROW, OF MERROW, CONNECTICUT.

EDGING FOR FABRICS AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,235, dated October 24, 1893.

Application filed April 30, 1891. Serial No. 391,120- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH M. MERROW, of Merrow, in the county of Tolland, State. of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Border or Edging for Fabrics and Method of Forming the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In a prior application (Serial No. 309,386) I have described and claimed,both generically and specifically, the improved form and construction of open work border or edging for fabrics embodying in its construction two or more lines or chains of loops extending longitudinally of and beyond the edge of the fabric or base, one of said chains extending in the form of loops or festoons by being connected at intervals to the base or the finished edge thereof, while the second line of loops crosses or is connected at one or more points to the loops or festoons of the first chain, to support and sustain the latter and add to the body and material of the finish. The illustration or embodiment of the said invention as disclosed in my prior application shows the festooned or looped chain connected to the base or finished edge thereof by the inclusion of a portion of the base within one or more of the stitches or loops composing the chain, and the second chain is connected to the first by the inclusion of the latter in the stitchesor loops of the second chain. Thus two enchaining or stitch forming operations or mechanisms are required for forming the particular variety of edging shown in my said prior application; the one for forming the first chain and connecting it to the base, and the other for forming the second chain and connecting it to the loops or festoons of the first chain.

My present invention, while involving some of the generic features of my said prior method and article, differs therefrom and is an improvement thereon in this that but a single enchaining operation is required to be performed, the second or connecting chain, tape, thread or cord being thrown into and incorporated with the primary chain, which latter also engages and includes within some of its loops a portion of the base or the finished edge thereof. The primary chain, so called, as thus arranged and disposed constitutes not only the principal looped or festooned portion of y the edging, but also serves as the medium for attachment to the base or fabric and the holder for the chain,cord, tape or other form of material constituting the secondary line.

. My present invention consists in the novel and improved method of forming open work edging or border, by enchaining a thread or cord to form a line of loops, and, during the process of enchaining the thread or cord, passing the latter through the finished or unfinished edge of the fabric so as to include and embrace the latter within one or more of the stitches, and throwing in a supplemental cord, so that it will also be embraced within one or more of the stitches of the primary chain; continuing the enchaining operation and repeating at intervals the penetration and inclusion of a portion of theedge during the formation of the primary chain, and the throwing into or inclusion in said chain of the supplemental cord, &c.

It further consists in the improved article produced by said method all as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have sought to illustrate some of the various forms in which the said invention may be embodied, Figure 1 is a plan view of a finish or edging showing one way of combining the primary chain and a secondary cord. -Fig. 2

represents a variation of the finish, a chain being substituted for the cord in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4:, 5 and 6v represent modifications in arrangement and character of materials employed.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

My improved finish, border or edging is composed of atleast three principal elements, to Wit, a base A, a chain B and a supplemental cord C.

What is herein termed a base (A) may consist of any fabric, to the edge of which the finish is to be applied. This edge may be either a raw edge or a finished edge, such as is commonly formed on garments as by hemming, folding, over-edge stitching or otherwise reinforcing the fabric to protect its edge.

The chain (B) is so called because itis composed of athread orthreadsinter-looped upon itself after the manner of knitting, crocheting or machine stitching and it may be formed in any well known manner, by hand or machinery and the form of the stitch may be varied. In the drawings a familiar form of stitch is shown for convenience.

The term supplemental cord (0) is employed to designate any suitable flexible material whether twisted or untwistecl, braided, woven or chained; and in the drawings several varieties are shown. Thus in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 it is represented as a cord, thread or strand; in Figs. 2 and 5 as a chain; and in Fig. 6, where two supplemental cords are included, one is represented as a cord, and the other as a braid or tape.

The method to be pursued in forming the improved finish is quite simple, and, when once suggested, seems obvious; moreover it is capable of being modified so as to produce many different varieties or forms of finish all embodying the same general structural peculiarities. Thus in the production of the finish shown in Figs. 1 and 2, (which are identical in structure and differ only as to the material composing the supplemental cord) a chain B is started, and after one or more loops have been chained the thread I) is passed through the edge of the base at the point a and at the same time the cord 0 is thrown in so that upon the completion of the last stitch of chain B the latter will be attached to the base, and the cord 0 fastened and held in position by the same stitch. The chaining of thread I) is continued until sniiicient chain has been completed to form the loop or festoon B, when the thread is again drawn through the base and one or more stitches taken therein, the cord 0 being again thrown in so as to be grasped by the stitch connecting chain B to the base. These operations being repeated result in the production of a finish such as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the supplemental cord 0 being incorporated at intervals in the chain B, and the latter secured to the base in the form of loops or festoons by the inclusion of a portion of the edge in certain of the stitches of the chain. In like manner two or more supplemental cords may be included or incorporated in the chain B, as represented in Figs. 3 and 6.

It is not essential to the present invention that the supplemental cord 0 should be thrown in during the formation of the stitch of chain B which attaches the latter to the base, as it may be thrown in at other points in said chain, and in this way many different styles and designs may be produced; thus as illustrated in Fig. 4, the supplemental cord 0 is thrown in midway of the chain composing loop B, that is to say, after the stitch has been taken through the edge of the fabric a chain is formed, the cord 0 is thrown in so as to be grasped by the thread I) in the formation of a certain stitch, after which the chaining is continued and a stitch taken through the edge of the fabric, when the described operations are again repeated, resulting in the production of an edging or finish composed of loops or festoons B formed from chain B and secured to the base by certain stitches taken at intervals through the base, with the cord 0 spanning the intervals between the outer ends of the loops B and attached to each of the latter at one point by being incorporated in and held by certain of the stitches orloops composing the chain of loop B. In like manner the supplemental cord 0 may be incorporated in and secured to the chain B attwo or more points in each loop or festoon; such a construction is illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the chain B is formed and attached to the base in the same manner as heretofore explained, but the supplemental cord 0 is thrown in at two points during the formation of the loop or festoon B, thus connecting the two limbs of the crescent or loop formed from chain B and connecting the contiguous ends or sides of adjacent loops B.

Difierent effects may be produced by varying the relative lengths of chain B and cord 0 entering into the structure of the several loops or festoons B; thus in Fig. 5 the cord 0 is extended parallel with the edge of the base and is contained within the space between the outer margins of the loops B and the edge of the base; but by increasing the length of cord 0 between its point of attachment to the loops B it may be permitted to extend laterally in the form of loops or festoons as illustrated in Fig. 6,wherein a straight and a slack cord 0 are shown combined with and held by the chain B, thus forminga somewhat more elaborate finish,but one which differs from that shown in Fig. 5, only in the addition or throwing in of a secondand more slack cord.

It will be observed that but a single stitch forming mechanism or operation is neces sarily involved in the practice of my improved method, z'. e., that for forming the chain B, and any desired material can be utilized for the connecting cord 0. Moreover the fabric or edging produced is characterized by the inclusion or incorporation of the base and supplemental cord 0 into the chain 13, certain of the stitches penetrating the edge of the base to form connection therewith, and certain stitches also engaging and embracing, in whole or in part the material of which the supplemental cord 0 is composed. WVhen the cord 0 is in the form of a chain it may be made into that form in a separate machine or it may be made on the same machine that forms the chain B and be thrown in in Whole or in part while being formed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The hereinbefore described improved method of forming borders or edgings upon fabrics which consists in forming a chain from a thread, connecting or attaching said chain at intervals in its length to the base by forming one or more of the stitches compos ing the chain about a portion of the edge of the base, and attaching a supplemental cord extending longitudinally of the fabric by incorporating the same at intervals in certain of the stitches constituting the chain and during the formation of the latter, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The within described improved edging or border for fabrics, the same comprising a base or fabric, a chain extending in loops or festoons beyond the edge of the base, said chain being connected at intervals to the base by the inclusion of aportion of the base within one or more of the stitches of the chain, and a supplemental cord running longitudinally of the base and connected to the loops or festoons by being incorporated into certain of the stitches composing the chain of which the loops or festoons are composed. 3. The hereinbefore described improved edging or border for fabrics, the same con sisting of a base A, a series of loops or festoons B composed of a chain B attached to the base at intervals by the inclusion of a portion of the edge of the base within certain stitches of the chain, and a supplemental cord 0 incorporated in the chain and attached to the base by the same stitches of the chain which include the base; substantially as described.

JOSEPH M. MERROW. Witnesses:

ALEX. S. STEUART, ALVAN MAOAULEY. 

